Below is a list of the best free ad blockers. But none of them is perfect, so it is most effective to use several solutions at once.
Types of Advertising
When choosing the best blockers, we adhered to the following criteria:
- Completely free;
- Good user ratings;
- No need to register an account to use;
- Recently updated (within the last 12 months);
- Implementation as a plugin for at least one browser or operating system;
- Blocks “media ads” (pop-ups, banners, videos, static images, wallpapers, text ads);
- Blocks advertisements in videos (for example, on YouTube).
To test blockers, we used several sites with different types of advertisements. Among them: Forbes.com, Fark.com, YouTube and OrlandoSentinel.com.
On Orlando Sentinel, we found aggressive ad formats that most ad blockers cannot block. In fact, only a few of them effectively blocked all ads shown on the Orlando Sentinel.
We've tested each of these free tools based on the criteria provided and given them a rating. In addition, the ad blockers listed below, with the exception of Stend Fair Adblocker, are open source software.
The best ad blockers - browser plugins and applications
The best option for blocking ads is to install a specialized plugin or use a browser with a built-in blocker. They interact with sites much more accurately than standalone programs running in the background on your computer.
Stands Fair AdBlocker
It is only available for the Google Chrome browser. With this plugin you can block all types of advertising. But it is only available as an add-on for the Google Chrome browser.
Stands Fair AdBlocker is not designed to block ad blocks, although it can be used for that as well. The development company believes in honest advertising and rewards users who create white lists of ads shown on sites.
Luckily, Stands does a great job of blocking all other ads. Including the aggressive advertising formats shown on the Orlando Sentinel. Plus display ads, autoplay videos, and YouTube ads.
Rating: 7/7
Main advantages: Block ads on Facebook and Google search.
Works with: Google Chrome
AdBuard AdBlock
AdGuard AdBlock was able to block all types of ads. But the biggest disadvantage of this ad blocker is that all the features are only available in the premium version. However, the difference between blocker versions is explained only in the reference documentation.
Many users have rated AdBuard AdBlock positively. It has been downloaded over 4 million times and received high ratings.
When we tested it, it was one of the ad blockers that not only effectively blocked ads shown on the Orlando Sentinel website, but also blocked advertising frames with the word “advertisement.”
Rating: 7/7
Main advantages: Possibility to convert whitelist to blacklist.
Works with: Google Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Opera, Microsoft Edge, Yandex Browser.
Opera Browser
One of the fastest and most productive browsers. He was one of the first to offer his users a built-in ad blocker.
Once you enable the ad blocker in your settings, it blocks almost every ad you come across. But the browser was unable to block interstitial ads on the Forbes website (blocks of quotes that appear before articles). Most other ad units were blocked.
In addition, the Opera ad blocker successfully blocked advertisements shown on the Orlando Sentinel.
Rating: 7/7
Main advantages: built into a popular browser, easy whitelisting.
Works: with Opera.
Adblock Plus
Is the most popular ad blocking software with over 10 million downloads in the Google Chrome browser alone. This is a free and open source project. Adblock Plus is the basis for many other free blockers.
By default, Adblock Plus is designed to only block ads that are considered intrusive or potentially harmful. Therefore, it requires additional configuration.
If you want to block most ads (including auto-playing videos), you'll need to disable the "Allow some non-intrusive ads" option in Settings. But even in this case, ABP does not block everything.
Adblock Plus was one of the tools that failed to do anything about the ads shown on the Orlando Sentinel. Unfortunately, even the “element blocking” function could not help. ABP is good and popular, but far from perfect.
Rating: 6.5 / 7
Main advantages: presence of anti-blocking filter.
Works with: Google Chrome, Firefox, Microsoft Edge, Internet Explorer, Opera, Safari, Yandex Browser, iOS, Android.
uBlock AdBlocker Plus
Unlike other tools, uBlock AdBlocker Plus is easy to use. However, there are some things that the developer could improve. For example, the blocker's website is just a page with the name of the plugin and no additional information.
Block AdBlocker Plus effectively blocks most advertisements, but still lets some through. For example, it did not block the automatic playback of advertising on one of the sites.
When some advertisements were loading, I used the "item blocking" feature to block specific advertisements on the webpage. For example, on the Orlando Sentinel, element blocking worked fine. And its use did not lead to a page reload (as was the case with other ad blockers).
Rating: 6.5 / 7
Main advantages: easy to use, ability to lock elements.
Works with: Google Chrome.
uBlock Plus Adblocker
The biggest drawback of this plugin is that it has a clunky interface. There are several settings that are activated using switches. But most of the work involves digging into the parameters. However, uBlock Plus Adblocker effectively blocked all advertisements, including autoplay videos.
The main advantage of the plugin is the presence of a large library of third-party filters. The tool also includes advanced custom settings that allow you to create your own content filters.
During testing, uBlock Plus Adblocker blocked most advertisements. But I couldn't do anything about the banner ads shown on the Orlando Sentinel.
Rating: 6.5 / 7
Main advantages: filters elements and unsafe advertisements.
Works with: Google Chrome.
AdBlocker Genesis Plus
If you have used uBlock Origin or AdBlock Plus, this plugin is for you. AdBlocker Genesis Plus is a fork of other popular plugins. It uses the same basic source code, but implements many of its own features.
Its user interface is slightly different, but the ad blocking functionality is the same. The plugin's developer claims to have specifically removed tracking code from the uBlock/AdBlock Plus source code to ensure greater privacy.
This ad blocker has a high rating (4.34 out of 5) based on over 100,000 ratings. But I found that Genesis Plus doesn't block all ads. The plugin blocked simple display ads on one site (Fark.com), but was unable to block a display ad on the Orlando Sentinel.
Rating: 6/7
Main advantages: no tracking code, simple whitelist button, block items button.
Works with: Google Chrome.
Adblock Ultimate
Open source project. The tool allows you to deal with most advertisements. In testing, it was able to block YouTube ads and most display ads on websites. This ad blocker has high ratings: 4.84 out of 5 from Google Chrome users and over 600,000 installations.
The plugin was unable to handle the ads shown on the Orlando Sentinel. It did not block ads broadcast on this site at all. But for those who only need to cut out most of the ads, this is a good option. Unfortunately, the plugin has not been updated for over a year. Because of this, his rating was lowered.
Rating: 6/7
Main advantages: Quick “item blocking” feature that allows you to instantly block any advertisements.
Works with: Google Chrome.
NoScript
This tool is only suitable for Firefox and is more of a script blocker than an ad blocker. NoScript prevents all types of scripts from loading on web pages: JavaScript, Java, Flash and others. You can allow certain types of scripts to be loaded. But by default, the tool applies a fairly “hard” filter.
As a result of its work, most display ads are blocked. This includes aggressive advertising on the Orlando Sentinel, which other tools could not cope with. But NoScript does not block ads in videos at all.
Rating: 5.5/7
Main advantages: Complete blocking of scripts.
Works with: Firefox.
Why aren't Privacy Badger and Ghostery on this list?
You may have heard about the popular ad blockers Privacy Badger and Ghostery. The fact is that these plugins are not designed to block ads, but to refuse ads and other elements of sites that violate user privacy. As a result, they both block certain types of advertisements. But first and foremost, the tools are aimed at protecting privacy.
Yandex Browser offers its users a catalog from which you can download useful extensions. One such add-on is an ad blocker. It will save you from various kinds of pop-up elements on websites. The issue becomes more pressing as web pages are overloaded with banners. By the way, the creation of advertising is based precisely on information from your past searches.
If you're tired of ads, it's time to take advantage of this special add-on. Adblock for Yandex Browser is a popular option that is used by most owners of PCs and mobile devices. It can be downloaded from the official website and online extension store.
Version Plus
Adblock is installed not only in Yandex Browser. It is also suitable for working in other popular browsers: Google Chrome, Opera, Safari, Internet Explorer, although it was originally developed specifically for Firefox. The extension is also available for telephone platforms.
Adblock Plus is an alternative to the blocker mentioned above, which is considered a little faster and more productive, but is it true? It blocks all intrusive and unobtrusive advertising and banners on websites for free. In addition, the Adblock Plus extension does not leave empty squares in places where advertising should be located, since it is the advertising element of the site that is hidden. The result is that the page looks as if the advertisement was never there.
The extension works based on filters that sort information located on the site. He understands what needs to be blocked and what not, so the user gets the opportunity to see only the data that is important to him.
Apart from this advanced version, there are also other variants of the program, including Adblock Pro.
Adblock and Adblock Plus: what's the difference?
In reality, both blockers do their job. The only difference is in the details. In some places the Plus version is better, in others it is worse.
Let's start with the shortcomings. Unlike the regular version of adblock plus for the Yandex browser, it can block ads only for the site, and not the domain as a whole. The second not very pleasant addition is that the blocker leaves unobtrusive advertising. And this option is enabled by default. You can, of course, disable it if you wish. Finally, the blocker menu (can be opened by clicking on the icon on the panel) is not as functional as in the regular version.
The main advantage is the ability to create your own filters. The functionality allows you to specify which site and which element you would like to hide. Moreover, this can be used not only against advertising.
Where to download from and how to install?
How to install Adblock on Yandex Browser? There are two main methods other than downloading from third party sites. The latter is not recommended due to the risk of infecting your computer with viruses. First, let's look at downloading browser extensions from the browser store.
1.In the menu, find the “Add-ons” section and open it.
2.A list will appear containing installed extensions. At the bottom of the page there will be a button “Catalog of add-ons for Yandex.Browser”. Click on it.
3.In the search, write “Add block”. The system will find suitable options for you for this keyword. By the way, there will be a lot of them. You may not find Adblock in its pure form here. There are versions for all sites. There are also for certain pages, for example, for the social network Facebook. We recommend downloading the very first version of Addblock Fast. Open it and click on “Add to Yandex Browser”.
If you want a clean version, then you need to go to the resource where you can officially download Adblock Plus.
1.Go to the address: https://adblockplus.org. Click on “Install on Yandex.Browser”:
2.Then click on “Add” to confirm the installation.
3. The UPS will be installed very quickly. An icon with a red octagon will appear in the top panel to the right of the address bar.
How to setup?
Adblock for Yandex can be customized: select filters, change the list of allowed domains. How to go to settings
1.Click on the red add-on icon. Select the “Settings” section.
2.A tab will open where you can change the blocker settings.
3.The first section is “Filter List”. Here you can enable or disable filter lists. The “Allow some intrusive advertising” feature means that some advertising can still appear on sites, since it allows the sites to function. It's enabled by default, but you can disable it if you want to get rid of it completely. Just uncheck the box. To learn more about these unobtrusive advertising elements, click on "More Information". Then you can turn it back on.
Checking the work of Adblock
Restart your browser and visit any page. Visually, everything should look very simple: there should be no advertising. To be sure, click on the Adblock icon - a menu will open indicating that the extension is enabled on this site. To turn off the extension, click on this phrase. Learn more about disabling.
If not blocked
What can't an extension get rid of? This is an advertisement for other video hosting sites: if it is recorded in the video itself, and not as a loaded element, which the extension copes with a bang.
However, these elements can also be blocked. They will not be loaded in the future if you manually disable them. Just right-click on a separate image and select the “Block element” function in the context menu.
This will be the new blocking filter. Click on “Add”.
Adblock for Android
You can also install the extension on browsers on mobile devices. You can also download the program at: https://adblockplus.org/ru/android.
Unfortunately, it is impossible to download the program from the Google Play Market for Android, so you will need to download and install everything manually. What actions should I take?
- Go to the official page (address listed above) from your phone or tablet. Download the installation file and run it accordingly.
- If the file does not want to open, go to the “Security” section in the settings. Check the box "Unknown sources".
- When the installation is complete, open the blocker. A notification will appear stating that the program is unable to change the proxy settings on its own. You need to change the settings yourself. Open Wi-Fi network settings. Click on the “Advanced options” button. Enter proxy: name - localhost, port - 2020. Save changes.
Adblock for Yandex Browser is useful in the same way as for other programs of this type. You can purchase it for free in the extension store, but it is better to use the official resource. This is where the clean version of the add-on will be.
The Internet is literally flooded with all kinds of advertising videos, text blocks, banners and similar methods of advertising products. After viewing a cluttered site, there is a desire to remove everything unnecessary from the page in order to easily study the information. To turn off all advertising blocks, the Yandex browser has ad blockers, some of them are already built-in, while others are installed as extensions from online stores. Various anti-banners help to leave only information that is of direct benefit to the reader; they block everything else.
Anti-banners for Yandex browser work on a fairly simple principle. It is better to consider it with an example:
In fact, all anti-banners for blocking ads in the Yandex browser work according to this algorithm. There is also a slightly different blocking method, used by VPN extensions with an ad blocking function. It involves pre-loading content onto the plugin server, where it is filtered. The finished page is sent to the end user.
Ways to block ads using built-in Yandex Browser tools
The Yandex web browser already has pre-installed and completely free functions for blocking ads. They are aimed at protecting the user from inappropriate, shocking advertising, as well as resource-intensive flash advertising. Mostly text advertising is not affected, except for adult content.
There are 2 extensions active in the browser by default:
Both extensions can be found on the “Settings” page, in the “Blocking inappropriate ads” section, as well as on the “Add-ons” tab, in the “Online Security” column. In the “Add-ons” section there are 2 more extensions of this group: 
As a conclusion: it is better to leave the first 2 additions enabled, the third is optional.
Rating of ad blocker plugins for Yandex browser on PC
Let’s consider the installation process for each extension in advance, because it is approximately identical:
Important! You should not install several extensions at the same time, this will lead to unnecessary load on the browser and long page loading times. It is better to use one high-quality extension.
AdGuard - the best ad blocker for Yandex browser
We can call AdGuard the best ad blocker for the Yandex web browser due to its efficient and accurate work. The plugin correctly determines which block is advertising and which is not.
Other benefits of the AdGuard extension:
Just install the add-on and it will immediately start blocking ads.
AdBlock
It is one of the best extensions that are very popular. The top plugin has most of the benefits of AdGuard. Both extensions are direct analogues. Here we can also manage the list of exceptions, connect new databases for filtering, and it is possible to delete elements from sites manually.
The extension received second place due to the introduction of a controversial functionality – “Acceptable Ads”. The essence of the function is that the blocker skips part of the advertisement that it considers acceptable. This is good for decent website owners who pay the bills for website maintenance through advertising. Some users find advertising of any kind unacceptable.
We can disable the “Acceptable Ads” function in the “Settings” section:
Ghostery
The extension specializes not only in ad blocking. The main purpose of the plugin is to ensure a high level of confidentiality. The add-on not only removes advertising, but also disables tracking tools. Both actions have a positive effect on page loading speed. The main advantage of the application is its high-quality locking. During testing, not a single advertising banner was able to bypass the filter. 
uBlock Origin
The uBlock extension, like other plugins on the list, is completely free to distribute. To confirm the effectiveness of the module, we present the fact that the application uses the same filtering lists as AdBlock. If desired, we can add more filtering lists, but they are not particularly necessary. Additionally, uBlock protects against malware and notifies you of threats from dangerous sites. The extension protects against leakage of local IP information via WebRTC.
The plugin has a lot of additional advantages:
AdBlock Plus (ABP)
This is one of the oldest extensions in the anti-banner environment. The top-end ad protector is still popular, and in terms of quality of work it is approximately equal to its analogues. ABP comprehensively blocks unwanted advertising and copes with the task quite well. Its important advantage is the ability to manually block any elements on the page.
During the test, ABP did not perform at its best; it missed part of the advertising on VK. VKontakte is one of the most popular services; even if advertising appears here, there is a high risk of encountering it on other sites. Of course, we can include additional filter lists, but this is extra work. 
Applications for blocking ads on YouTube, VKontakte, Facebook
The network also has a number of highly specialized extensions designed for one resource. Mostly such plugins are developed for VK, YouTube, Facebook.
List of blockers for services:
These are good analogues of the blockers from the previously described rating, but they only work on one site.
How to block ads in Yandex browser on Android for free?
Some ad blockers for Yandex browser also work on Android. Their list is much smaller than ad blockers for Yandex browser on PC, but even these extensions are enough. The reduction in the number of plugins is due to the operating system and the inability to download add-ons from the Opera store.
- uBlock Plus AdBlocker. The best extension for any gadget: smartphone, tablet. It cleans website pages well of advertising;
- Adblock Genesis Plus (As of 10/23/2019, the extension is not available in the Chrome store). Quite a popular ad blocker for Yandex browser on tablets and smartphones. We can install on any device with the Android operating system.
Today, the article presented the most successful extensions from the group of ad blockers for the computer and mobile versions of the Yandex browser. The list is not limited to them; there are other extensions, but they are practically not supported and often skip ads. The ad blockers listed in the article help Yandex browser users forget about advertising forever and increase page loading speed.
In order to make viewing pages in web browsers such as Firefox Mobile, Songbird, Firefox, Thunderbird, Prism more convenient, many people prefer to download Adblock Plus for browsers for free and install this extension.
The fact is that such a program allows you to block banners, advertising and dangerous domains. This way, you can avoid being distracted by such unnecessary, spam information.
Also, thanks to the customization option, you can load lists of filters, thereby independently determining what will not be “broadcast” to you.
You can define rules for blocking Java applets, images, and Flash videos.
Functional
Adblock Plus can:
- activate filters that block certain elements of a web page,
- display all elements of the page you are viewing,
- count the number of hits based on the filter you configured,
- disable set filters or subscriptions,
- quickly provide lists of blocked items,
- copy the list of your filters to the reserve every day,
- hide even those elements that cannot be blocked for one reason or another.
Thus, if you do not want to be distracted by unnecessary material, if your goal is efficient and comfortable work with the browser, then you should download Adblock Plus for free and install a similar extension.
Moreover, the entire process of placing a block here will not take much time and will require no more than two clicks from you. And if inexperienced users believe that this extension can only block ads, then in fact, as can be seen from the list above, this is only part of the extension’s capabilities.
The software tools are diverse and flexible, which means that you can customize each parameter yourself, removing everything that you don’t need.
For example, even navigation blocks can be hidden if they bother you.
However, do not think that the Adblock Plus program only works with PCs. There is also a version for Android. So, as soon as you open the Firefox browser on your mobile phone, add the Adblock Plus extension to it to get rid of ads forever.
Interface
After you download Adblock Plus for free and install the utility, you will need to configure it. For example, if you work in Yandex, then you need to go to the Menu, find the Settings - Add-ons section and enable it. Next, you need to configure what will block the extension.
If you have blocked banners, but still want to see them on one site, you can open this site in your browser, and then click on the Adblock Plus icon. There will be just a permission point. Moreover, you can disable blocking for the entire site, or for part of its sections or even individual pages.
It often happens that pop-up messages, for example, from social networks, also interfere with your work. In this case, you can get rid of such elements. You just need to add them to the list when setting up the plugin. In relation to YouTube and Facebook, Adblock Plus will allow you to get rid of promotional materials or comments.
Advertisers often collect information about users who click on or accidentally view an ad. Moreover, they do not take permission for this. To prevent them from monitoring your activity, you can activate the corresponding utility function. It will also allow you to filter malicious domains.
Adblock Plus version for Android
This application, installed on your smartphone, will allow you to filter ads, thereby reducing traffic consumption. In addition, the utility has extensive settings that will make working on the network more convenient.
Adblock Plus version for iOS
The utility works in the background, blocking ads and other intrusive elements of web pages that bother you. In addition, the software allows you to change filter settings, ensuring efficient work in the web browser, and saves personal data. The software is compatible with many devices, including iPhone 4s, iPad 2, iPad mini and their later versions. Unfortunately, only the iPhone 4 or iPad does not support the software.
For popular browsers
Adblock Plus for Mozilla Firefox and Internet Explorer
ABP is a special ad blocker for the Yandex browser. Made in the form of an extension that is built into the browser and protects stop advertising. ABP or anti-advertising - blocks various advertisements on websites when viewing them. Or use it as an anti-banner and anti-spam.
The blocker prohibits the loading of contextual advertising when searching for the necessary information via Google, Yandex, Mail; prohibits the downloading of banners, pop-ups and other advertising materials that are not only annoying, but can even harm your computer. Installing adblock plus will significantly save Internet traffic. But there is another side of the adblock - the use of the computer’s RAM, and the usual adblock “eats” a lot of RAM, and adblockplus - 3 times less.
You can download Yandex browser for free from the link: http://browser.yandex.ru/.
Free download and installation of Abp
You can download Abp absolutely free from the Google Chrome extensions online store. To do this, open your browser and click on the link: browser extensions. Then, in the window that opens, click on the appropriate button "+Free":
Adblock will download and install itself on your computer. After installation, you will only need to enable this extension by clicking on the corresponding new button that will appear in the top bar of the browser:
Setting up adblock plus
Immediately after installing this extension, additional settings are available:
- “Blocking malware” - domains that have been found to distribute viruses and other malware will be automatically blocked from access.
- “Remove buttons for social networks” - such as Vkontakte, Facebook and others - will be “cut out” from the code of the page being viewed to prevent possible tracking of the user.
- “Disable tracking” - completely disables user tracking in advertisements. Let's say Direct monitors user requests and, based on this, shows him relevant advertising.
- You can also set up protection for children from inappropriate content.
Basic settings for the blocker can be made by clicking on the icon in the browser panel and selecting “Settings” in the context menu:
The developers have made this plugin absolutely free. But they still left the opportunity to display some of the advertising. In order to receive any minor remuneration for your work. This setting is “Allow some unobtrusive advertising.”
ABP is useful for those who use mobile Internet. For others, it is just an excessive load on RAM. After all, advertising on the Internet is not only annoying. It allows webmasters to earn money, and for you to receive free information from them. Those. By including this plugin you allow the owner of this software to earn money. And not the author who provided you with the information. The choice is yours.
This extension can be installed in the same way for Google Chrome.
